Mettius
- 1. ~ Curtius, aanvoerder v.d. Sabijnen in de strijd na de roof v.d. Sabijnse vrouwen onder Romulus;
- 2. ~ Fufetius, laatste dictator v. Alba Longa, als verrader v.d. Romeinen voor straf gevierendeeld.
or Me'tius, an old Italian name, in use both among the Sabines and Latins. It is doubtful whether Mettius or Metius is the better orthography, as we sometimes find one and sometimes the other in the best MSS. For the sake of uniformity, however, we have adopted the form Mettius in all the following names, though some of them occur with only one t.
1. P. Mettius, a partisan of Saturninus and Glaucia in B. C. 100, assassinated C. Memmius, one of the consular candidates in that year. (Oros. 5.17.)
2. M. Mettus, was sent by Caesar at the opening of the Gallic war, in B. C. 58, as legatus to Ariovistus, king of the German league, and was detained prisoner by him, but subsequently rescued by Caesar. (Caes. Gal. 1.47, 53.) The annexed coin, which bears the legend M. Mettius, and has on the obverse the head of Caesar, probably refers to this Mettius.
[W.B.D]
[Curtius Mettius, No. 1.]
[Carus.]
was praetor or dictator of Alba in the reign of Tullus Hostilius, third king of Rome. After the combat between the Horatii and Curiatii had determined the supremacy of the Romans, Mettius was summoned to aid them in a war with Fidenae and the Veientines. On the field of battle, from cowardice or treachery, Mettius drew off his Albans to the hills, and awaited the issue of the battle. The Etruscans, mistaking his movement for a design upon their flank, took to flight, and Mettius fell upon them in their disorder, intending probably to regain the confidence of his Roman allies. But on the following day the Albans were all deprived of their arms, and Mettius himself, as the punishment of his treachery, was torn asunder by chariots driven in opposite directions. (Dionys. A. R. 3.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28. 29, 30; Liv. 1.23, 26, 27, 28; Varr. Fr. p. 240, Bip. ed.; Flor. 1.3.8; V. Max. 7.4.1; Frontin. Strat. 2.7.1; Polyaen. Strat. 8.5.) [W.B.D]
or Geminus, was commander of the cavalry of Tusculum in the last war between Rome and the Latin league, B. C. 340. He challenged T. Manlius, son of the consul T. Manlius Torquatus, and was slain by him in the combat. (Liv. 8.7; V. Max. 2.7.6.) [W.B.D]
a senator in Vespasian's reign, whom the emperor raised to the consulate, although Mettius was reported to have a royal nativity. Domitian afterwards banished and put him to death. (Suet. Vesp. 14, Dom. 10, 20 ; D. C. 67.12; Victor, Ep. 9.) [W.B.D]
or Metius. (1) Curtius, q. v.
(2) Fuffetius, dictator of Alba, and torn asunder by chariots driven in opposite directions by order of Tullus Hostilius, third king of Rome, on account of his treachery towards the Romans (Livy, i. 23-28).